Man damaged car with chainsaw before being run over, Laois court hears

A court heard a man who damaged a car with a chainsaw following a dispute over a trailer was later run over and ended up in an intensive care unit. 

Daniel McDonagh (30) with addresses at Ballycrystal, Geashill, Offaly, and Old Castle Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin, appeared before Portlaoise Circuit Court where he was appealing the severity of sentences for a number of offences. 

He had been sentenced to three months in prison for the theft of €449.82 worth of clothing from Eamon Bracken Men’s Wear, Main Street, Portarlington on February 10, 2025 and a further nine months in prison for making threats to kill at Hopkins Haven, Monasterevin, Co Kildare on November 20, 2024.  

He had also been fined €1,000 for stealing four cans of Captain Morgan valued at €11.50 from Centra, Main Street, Portarlington on February 11, 2025 and given another €1,000 fine for driving off without paying  for €136.82 worth of diesel from the Applegreen garage in Portarlington on May 18, 2025.  The court was told the €449.82 of clothing was recovered but the fuel and alcohol was not. 

Garda Shane Lenhane played a video in court which was taken from a Facebook live post, CCTV and a number of doorbell cameras at Hopkins Haven on November 20, 2024. The video showed a van pulling up to a house. The driver of the van can be heard in the Facebook live video from the van describing another man as “a scumbag” and stating that “I will come and I will take your life. I promise you that”. 

Laois State Solicitor Tristan Lynas asked Garda Lehane what the background was in relation to the threats. 

Garda Lehane said the defendant had appeared and pleaded guilty to possessing an article which was a “running chainsaw”. He said the man had entered the driveway of a property with the running chainsaw and damaged a vehicle following a dispute over a trailer. 

“After the incident involving the chainsaw he would have been run over”, said Garda Lehane. 

“He was in ICU in Tallaght hospital for a number of days”, he told the Judge Keenan Johnson. 

Judge Johnson asked if the man who had allegedly run him over was prosecuted. He was told the man is due to be sentenced for dangerous driving causing harm at Naas Circuit Court next month. 

Mr Lynas said the defendant had pleaded guilty in relation to the thefts. He said the incidents all occurred while he was on bail. 

Judge Johnson asked when the man had been run over? He was told he was run over on  July 26, 2024. 

“That’s the same date he damaged the car with the chainsaw?” asked Judge Johnson. “Yes”, replied Mr Lynas. 

Anne Doyle BL said her client was originally from the Bawnogue in Clondalkin. She said it was “arguably one of the poorest and most deprived areas in the State” and drug addiction and poverty were rife when he was growing up. She said he was a member of the Travelling community and didn’t progress to second level education. She said he began smoking cannabis at 13 and had a chronic addiction to alcohol by 14. 

“In his own words, nobody gave a damn about him”, she said. 

Ms Doyle said the defendant has spent time in prison and was currently on temporary release. She said he spent his time constructively in custody and attended addiction support  meetings and began studying for his junior certificate. She said he was on temporary release on a number of strict conditions. 

Judge Johnson asked about the sentence he had received. He was told the man was given a two year sentence at Naas Circuit Court but 15 months of it were suspended. 

“The prison service has deemed him to be in a stable condition to spend the rest of his sentence in the community”, said Ms Doyle. 

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She said he had completed a 12 week residential treatment programme. “He is completely free of all substances for the first time in a long time”, she said. The man had also brought €150 to court to compensate the businesses in Portarlington, she added. 

Judge Johnson ordered that the compensation be given to Centra and Applegreen in Portarlington. 

He said the defendant has “an appalling record and he has a very bad attitude”. 

“That video is an absolute and utter disgrace”, he told the man. 

He also questioned how the defendant could keep an eye on the road while “ranting on and making all those ridiculous threats while driving”. 

He requested a probation service report and a community service assessment for 240 hours. 

Adjourning the case until June 24, he ordered the defendant to keep the peace, refrain from alcohol or drugs, engage with addiction services and to endeavour to find a job. “The devil finds work for idle hands”, Judge Johnson told the man. 

He granted legal aid and told the defendant that he wanted to see “a glowing report” or else he wouldn’t only reaffirm the district court sentence he would increase it. 

“You will never see me again before the court after this case”, the man told Judge Johnson.